Zither.



S. C. OSBORN.

ZITHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. 1915.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 $HEETSSHEET 1.

m MW W s. 0. OSBORN.

ZITHER;

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. K915.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

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00 Q (wi l, m rgy/z/y k Wag/ 9 SAMUEL, o. osnoniv, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

zirnnn.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented septl 1'1, 917.

Application filed September 4, 1915. Serial No. 48,965.

To all whom'it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. OsBonN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of'Illin'ois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Zithers, of which the following is a'specification.

My invention relates to improvements in zithershaving hammer-bars adapted when actuated to sound certain of the strings of the zit'her; and my primary objects are to provide'a Zither of the above referred to character wherein those strings of the zither which are grouped into bass-chords, maybe grouped as in the ease of the regulat on zither, and be played either by thumbing the strings by hand, or actuating the hammer-bars to sound the desired chords; to provide for the simultaneous sounding of the's'trings actuated by the hammer-bars and the striking of all of the strings actuated with substantially the same force to produce the desired tone; to provide for the quick return of the hammer-bars to normal position after actuation to prevent muflling or the plane of the 'line'2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in'the direction ofv the arrow; Fig. 3 is a section'taken at the line 3 on Fig.- 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. dis a section taken at the line at on Fig. 2 and viewed'in the'direction of the arrow; and Fig.5, a section taken at the line on Fig-4 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

The Zither'shown in Fig. 1 and in. connectionwith which my improvements are illustrated, is of a' common form employing groups of strings forming the treble and other groups forming the bass-chords. In the instrument illustrated four groups of strings of four each, forming the bass chords, eachgroup'producmg a chord, are

employed, these groups being indicated by the numerals 1, 2, and I on Fig. 1.

Cooperating with the groups 1, 2, 3'and l of strings, are hammer-bars adapted to sound all of the strings of the respective groups with which they respectively 00- operate, and in addition thereto. one or more strings of the oth r bass-chords.

In the preferred construction illustrated I provide a base-member 6 which rests flatwise against the top of the sounding-board 7 of the zithcr and is rigidly secured thereto, as by screws passing through lugs 8 on the base 6, this base beiiig preferably secured to the sounding-board between the groups of strings 2 and 8 to extend lengthwise thereof, and provided at intervals along its length with upright members 9 extending transversely thereof. T he hammer-bars represented at 10, 11, 12 and 13 are supported from the upright members 9' through the medium of spring-members 1 1, each of the said hammer-bars being carried at the outer ends of a pair of the spring-members which are spaced apart and secured at their otherends to the uprights 9. The spring-members 1d are held to the members 9 by means of screws 15 bearing upon washers 16, it beingpreferred that strips of felt, or the like, represented at 17 and 18 be confined between the members 1 1 and 9 and between the member-s14- and washers 16, the washers 16 for each pair of spring-members 1 1 being preferably integral and in the form of a plate-section as represented in Figs. 1 and 4. i

As hereinbefore stated, each of thehammer-bars cooperates with, and is adapted to sound, a different chord, and to this end each of the hammer-bars is provided on its under side with a section of felt, or other desirable substance, which, forms a striking surface and is so arranged that it will strike the desired strings only.- In the arrangement illustrated, the hammer-bar 10 is adapted to sound chord 1, the hammer-bar 11 to sound chord 2, the hammer-bar 12 to sound chord 3, and the hammer-bar 13 to sound chord 4, and these hammer-bars are accordingly provided with sections of felt, or the like, as represented at 19, 20, 21 and 22. Each of the hammer-bars referred to, in addition to cooperating with a particular group of strings, is, in' the particular construction illustrated, adapted to sound a string or strings of another chord or chords which will harmonize with the main chord sounded by the particular hammer -bar. Thus in the arrangement illustrated the hammer-bar 10 in addition to sounding chord 1, is provided with a section 23 of felt, or the like, positioned to strike the large G string of group 4; the hammer-bar 11 is provided with sections 21 and 21 of felt, or the like, adapted to strike the large I? string of group 3, and the two G strings in group 4, respectively; the hammer-bar 12 is provided With a section 25 of felt, or the like, adapted to strike the large C string of group 1; and the hammer-bar 13 is provided with sections 26, 27 and 28 of felt, or the like, adapted to strike theE string of group 1 and the two F strings of group 3, respectively.

The strings forming the several groups 1, 2, 3, and f being of different diameters their upper surfaces extend into different planes and to cause the blows struck by the hammer-bars, when actuated, to be uniformly applied to the strings to produce the desired tone, I prefer to provide the various striking sections carried by the hammerbars, of such thicknesses as shown, that the strings engaged by the hammer-bars will be simultaneously struck and with substantially the same force.

Each of the hammer bars is normally held by the spring-members 1ft above and out of contact with the strings of the zither and is preferably provided with a finger-piece enabling the player to lift the hammer-bar in opposition to the spring-arms connecting it with the base 6, and thereafter release it, to permit it under the action of the springs 14 to. strike the strings with which it cooperates.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the arrangement of the strings forming the bass-chords may be the same as that commonly used in zithers, thus not only permitting my improvements to be applied to zithers already in existence and facilitating the playing of the same, but also permitting zithers to be so constructed that they may be played solely by thumbing the strings, or in part by hammer-bars to sound the bass chords, at the option of the one playing the instrument; this is desirable where it is desired that all of the strings of one group be sounded in conjunction with one or more strings harmonizing therewith in another group or groups. It is also desirable even when it is desired to sound only the strings of one of the groups, as it facilitates the playing of the instrument and by striking all of the strings simultaneously produces the desired tone.

It is preferred that the upper surfaces of the upright members 9 be inclined relative to the plane in which the strings of the instrument extend, as represented at 30. This feature gives the spring-members 14c a slight pitch, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, and is a desirable feature inasmuch as it serves to produce a quick rebound of the hammerbars, preventing slurring or mufiling of the tones.

'While I have illustrated and described a particular construction in which my invention is embodied, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination with a zither, of a chord-sounding device comprising a relatively narrow hammer-bar, and a plurality of relatively-short spring-arms spaced apart and each connected at one end with said hammer-bar and at its opposite end with the zither and positioned for holding said hammer-bar normally out of engagement with the strings of the zither, said arms extending in a direction generally lengthwise of said strings.

2. The combination with a zither, of a chord-sounding device comprising a relatively narrow hammer-bar, a support, and a plurality of relatively short spring-arms spaced apart and each connected at one end with said hammer-bar and at its opposite end with said support, said arms being supported to incline upwardly at their free ends in a direction away from the strings of the zither and extending generally lengthwise of said strings.

3. The combination with a zither, of a base-member secured thereto and provided at intervals with upright members spaced apart, a pair of relatively short spring-arms connected with each of said upright members and extending generally lengthwise of the strings of the zither, and a relatively narrow hammer-bar secured to the outer ends of each pair of spring-arms to extend crosswise of, and above said strings and normally out of engagement therewith.

4. The combination with a zither, the extreme upper surfaces of the strings of the bass-chords of which are in different horizontal planes, of a hammer-bar supported to extend crosswise of the strings and to be moved into engagement therewith, said hammer-bar having its striking surface formed of felt or the like, of thicknesses at the portions thereof engaging the strings to compensate for the position of the extreme upper surfaces of the strings in different horizontal planes, whereby the striking surfaces of said hammer-bar simultaneously strike the strings in different planes, substantially uniform blows.

5. The combination with a zither having bass chord-strings arranged in groups, of devices for actuating said strings, each actuating the strings of one of said groups and the strings of another of said groups and including a hammer-bar extending trans versely of said strings.

(3. The combination with a zither having bass chord-strings arranged in groups, of devices for actuating said strings, each actuating the strings of one of said groups and the strings of another of said groups and including a relatively narrow hammer-bar extending transversely of said strings, and a relatively short spring-arm supported at one end and extending lengthwise of said strings and carrying said hammer-bar, at its free end.

7. The combination with a zither, of a plurality of relatively short springs-arms spaced apart, said arms being each supported at one end and extending generally lengthwise of the strings of the zither, and a relatively narrow hammer-bar having striker surfaces connected with the outer, free, ends of said springs-arms and extending crosswise of said strings and adapted to strike simultaneously a plurality of nonadjacent strings.

S. The combination with a zither of a device forming an attachment therefor secured to the sounding-board of said zither wholly between the strings thereof, said device involving a support, hammer-bars arranged in a series extending lengthwise of said strings, said bars extending cross-wise of said strings and substantially parallel with each other, and pairs of relatively short spring-arms extending generally lengthwise of said strings and carried by said support With the outer ends of each pair of arms connected with, and supporting, one of said hammer-bars.

9. The combination with a zither, of a device forming an attachment therefor formed. with a base-member secured to the soundingboard of the zither between the strings thereof, a series of pairs of relatively short spring-arms secured to said base-member, with the members of each pair spaced apart, and relatively narrow hammer-bars secured to the outer, free, ends of said arms, each one of said hammers being connected with a pair of said spring-arms, to extend normally above the strings of the zither, said hammerbars extending crosswise of said strings and substantially parallel with each other and arranged in a series extending lengthwise of said strings, and said spring-arms diverging from their points of support relative to said strings.

10. The combination with a zither, of a device forming an attachment therefor, including a basemember secured to the sounding-board of the zither, said base-member having comparatively narrow supporting sections extending upwardly between the strings of the zither and carrying crosspieces extending above the strings on both sides of the supporting sections, pairs of springar1ns each connected t one end with a cross-piece, said spring-arms extending lengthwise of said strings, and hammer bars secured to the outer ends of said spring-arms and extending above the strings and crosswise thereof and Carrying strikers.

SAMUEL C. OSBORN.

In presence of L. HEISLAR, K. ONEILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

